Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-10
VIRGINIA historical SOCIETY.
The Record Of u wonderful Acs OF
IIcroism.

A meeting of the Executive Commit
tee Of the Virginia Historical Society
was held yesterday in the ROOMS Of the
society, IN the Wc6tmoreland Club
House. Present Mossrs Henry vice
PRESIDENT, Brooke, Cottrell, Valentine,
Bsrksdale, aud Brock.
Gifts Of number Of hooks from in
dividuals, institutions Of learning, and
the Government were reported. An
extract from the records of GOochland
County Court, presented 10y the veneer
able and widely-beloycd DIR. George
William Harris, merits publication as
presenting an instance of individual
hcroism which was scarcely surpassed
in the late war between the States.
Inasmuch as the hero was II man of
ordinary physical capacity, his achieve
ment quite cclipses that of the famous
Peter Francisco during the first war
for indeTendonce, as Francisco was n
Hercules III strength. Private James
Peasants "a grandson of the State Gov
ornor and United States senator of the
same name, being at home on fur
Tough, had his horse stolen by Yam
kee marauder. Going III pursuit on
foot. armed with a revolver, he met,
CHALLENGED, and killed mounted
Federal thus securing horse and adj
ditional arms. He subsequently en-
countered a party of thirteen Federal
cavalrymen, whom he cody halted and
ordered to surrender. They complied,
and he thus secured thirteen prisoners
and sixteen horses, which he safely
turned over to the Confederate authori-
ties. This signal act of heroism was
commemorsted 10y the following min
ute
SIN Goochland County Court DIST
March, 1864, on the motion of Walter
ID. Leake. Esq, the following pream-
bic and resolutions offered by him were
unanimously adopted by the Court and
ordered to be spread upon the mi
nutes:
Whereas in the savage war OF inva-
sion waged against us by our cruel
and implacable northern foe, the
defence Of our wives and chill
dren, our homes, and our fire
sides depends upon the patriotism and
proWess of our citizen sOldieTy, and the
country ought to hold in sacred remem-
branco the deeds Of heroism and bravery
Of the privates in the ranks therefore
Resolved, That the cool bravery and
ardor Of Private James Peasants, of
the Goochland cavalry, in killing one
of the enemy and capturing thirteen
others and sixteen horses in the recent
raid of Dahlgren, in our county, was
III keeping with the character which
this young soldier has won in the army,
aud the Court orders these proceedings
to be put upon the records of thiscou
ty as memorial of its appreciation OF
genuine courage and unshrlnking pa
triotism.
HesOlrCd, That a copy OF these pro
ceedings be transmitted by the clerk
of this court to Private James Pleaslnts,
of the Goochland cavalry, and also to
the editors Of the Richmond newSpa-
pors, with request that they publish
the same in their respective news
papers.
"A copy-teste.
WILLIAM MILLER, Clerk
In a pocket of the Federal cavalry
man slain was found a testimonial TO
his gallantry and efficiency as a sol
der given him by his commanding
officers. There was also presented by
Stephen MEG. Fisher three-penny-
piece Of James III. of England, 1856.
The following gentlemen were elected
members of the society: Life-Col-
onel Thomas Mann Randolph Talcott,
Mobile, Ala. Annual-Major John
Scott, Warrenton, Va, and Messrs.
Manly b. Curry and Il. I. Flounoy,
ST Paul, MINI.
Adjourned.